Moss stitch
If you are left-handed, then change the option below, and all diagrams and descriptions will alter to suit you.
Moss stitch uses both knit stitch and purl stitch in the same row. It produces a decoratitive effect.
Moss stitch is made of single stitches of smooth (stocking) and knobbly (reverse stotcking) alternately. Each row is the opposite of the row above, creating this effect.
The first row has alternate knit stitch and purl stitch, similar to ribbing. Since you are changing stitch within a wool, you must keep an eye on where the wool is. For knit stitch, the wool must be behind the knitting, and for purl, the wool must be in front. So when you change stitch, you must adjust the wool to the other side of the knitting. Do this by taking the wool between the needles.
The next row is the opposite of ribbing. You must have a smooth stitch on top of a knobbly stitch, and a knobbly stitch on top of a smooth stitch. Since you turn the knitting round, this is, in fact, easier than ribbing. What you need to do is look at the stitch in the row below and do the same stitch - knit stitch on knit stitch, purl on purl. Or you can just knit alternate knit stitch and purl, in which case you will either get it right, or 100% wrong!
If you look at the patterns below, you can see that for an odd number of stitches in a row, each row will be knitted exactly the same. For an even number of stitches in a row, you need to change from knit, purl, knit, purl to purl, knit, purl, knit.
This sounds very difficult. In fact, you get used to how the stitches feel to knit, and where the wool is, and it starts coming naturally.
Moss stitch looks much the same on both sides. The stitches are offset slightly, but it isn't noticeable.
Moss stitch is also known as seed stitch.
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